A/N: Thank you for the reviews so far, BeetleBug and Lilybud! And for the faves/follows, as well; it's nice to see that other people appreciate Sanjay too, haha. Actually, he always kinda reminded me of Vishnal from Rune Factory 4, which is a good thing in my opinion; I have a soft spot for Vishie. Anyway, hope you enjoy the next little chapter! Comments are always appreciated, especially in regard to characterization! :)
-CCM
002. Early Mornings
Early one winter morning, as the sun was just peeking over the horizon to paint the sky in hazy shades of rose and gold, Rio set off for a walk through the village before it came time to begin her daily chores on the farm. Farm work, she had soon discovered, was more difficult than she ever could have imagined, and after waking up at dawn, day after day, to tend to the fields and the animals, Rio was feeling exceptionally exhausted. At least in the winter, she had slightly more free time for personal endeavors.
As she ambled along, pondering whether she should take a short stroll along the riverside or simply return to her farm to begin the day's tasks, Rio suddenly found herself face-to-face with Sanjay.
The young butler smiled warmly at her, despite the early morning chill. "Good morning, Rio. What brings you out on the town so early?"
Rio sighed, but managed to form a smile in return. "Just… taking a little stroll, I suppose." She didn't bother to mention that she had just been deciding to turn back home, and instead began to walk down the road alongside him. "What about you?"
"Oh… I was just headed to the store," he explained, blushing slightly. "I forgot to purchase some more honey for Prince Amir's breakfast tea, so I thought I would just hurry out for some right now before he came to breakfast, while I had the time."
They continued on in silence, taking in the wonderful wintertime scenery surrounding them- the carpet of fresh snow that had fallen overnight, shimmering in the steadily strengthening rays of sunlight, and the way it made the buildings around them resemble gingerbread houses frosted with white vanilla icing.
"It's such a beautiful morning, don't you agree?" Rio spoke up. She shook her head regretfully before Sanjay could even express his agreement. "It's not often that I get a break like this… Normally, my mornings are so busy and stressful, having to take care of the animals and water the crops and everything."
Sanjay nodded thoughtfully. "Well… it's always nice to take a day off from all the stress."
Rio gave a halfhearted shrug. "Yes… but farming is a twenty four-seven job. It's not like I can just stop when I get tired out, you know? Because animals always need to be fed, and if I didn't water the crops every day they would dry out and die, and-"
Sanjay lifted one hand to pause the farmer's little tirade, taking care not to seem rude. "Oh, I do understand, Rio. Prince Amir is my greatest friend, and taking care of him is a full-time duty. But you can always take some time off to relax and take a deep breath before getting right back into it again. Otherwise, you'll wear yourself out, and what good will that do?"
Rio paused in thought for a moment, but eventually nodded, a genuine smile now on her face as she took the butler's advice into consideration. "…I guess you're right. I can't be a very good farmer if I'm always so stressed out and tired that I can't even function properly… Thanks, Sanjay."
He laughed lightly, though he couldn't hide his delight at being able to help. "You're very welcome."